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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

I have gone back and forth about sharing my results from my final round of BodyBack mostly because I didn't meet the expectations I set for myself, body image wise. I still see so many things I wish to change, while fully appreciating how far I have come. I have a lot of "soft" spots and places I wish were more toned than they are but this body has been through a lot and I need to remind myself of that.

I hold weight in different areas and with having to modify workouts to a certain extent because of my arthritis it takes longer to lose the extra pounds and inches.

I am not perfect but I don't aim to be. I am who I am and that's enough.

I am not and will never be someone who wears a size 6, it's not my body shape or size and THAT IS OKAY. Actually, it's more than okay.

I am healthy

I am strong

I am more fit than I was before this journey began in September

Will I get back to where I was before having Molly weight/inches wise?

Maybe

But I have stopped focusing on that.

I have improved in every area of our assessments but the part I am most proud of is the mile. Running is not and has never been my friend. It hurts my knees and it's hard on my lungs because I do not breathe properly, but it's a big part of our workouts so I cannot avoid it anymore.

Session 1: I couldn't complete the mile run at our initial assessments and didn't bother trying at our final assessments.

Session 3: I ran the mile and then in 8 weeks I shaved an entire minute off of my time.

That's a huge accomplishment for me and something I want to continue to work on, slowly.

Working out isn't just something I have to do, it's a part of my life I "get" to do, so

instead of focusing on how far I have to go, I am focusing on how far I have come.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Yesterday I was lucky enough to celebrate my second Mother's Day since having Molly and it was just as good, if not better than my first.

Molly was sick all weekend so my day started earlier than usual, at 5:45 to be exact but this mug was sitting on the counter waiting to get my day started.

Eddie snuck out after I had gone to bed Saturday night so I would be greeted by the most beautiful bouquet I have ever received. It was a really nice and much appreciated surprise.

When Eddie woke up a little later than Molly and I (I thought moms were supposed to sleep in on Mother's Day? Kidding....kind of) he surprised me again.

I mentioned once, in passing, that I wanted an instant pot and he remembered. I was so excited I immediately started looking for recipes and made soft boiled eggs from Skinnytaste. The instant pot I have is a little different from hers so the eggs were slightly more cooked than I had wanted but I will definitely be making them again, they only took FOUR MINUTES!

After breakfast and naps, Eddie went to work and us girls spent the afternoon at my sisters with my mom.

My mom gifted me with a special craft her and Molly had made earlier that week which was so unexpected, I absolutely love it and plan on laminating this week.

We spent the day drinking, eating and chatting, what else could you ask for on a sunny Sunday?

I hope you all had as perfect a day as we did, and an even better weekend!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Last night I completed my final 8 week BodyBack session. I won't know my overall weight and inches lost over the three sessions until next week but I do have my assessments from this session.

I tried to look for my numbers from my first two sessions but I don't think I took a picture of them, if I get them next week I'll update this post.

The only number that mattered to me for these assessments was my one mile run. My first session in September I didn't complete the mile, I quit after 3 of 5 laps. I stopped mostly because of my knees but also because I simply could not do it.

Running has always been difficult for me, it's not something I enjoy. In fact, I find it to be a form of torture. It hurts my joints more than I care to admit and it burns in my lungs because I breathe so heavy, almost like I am drowning.

Something to work on

I was determined this session to complete the one mile run and I did, twice. I was fortunate enough to have a good friend run with me for the first one just to get me through and last night I almost bailed due to the weather (cold and rainy) affecting my arthritis but I am glad I didn't.

There were a few times I stopped to walk because I was in so much pain, but I didn't give up, I finished and I shaved one minute off of my time from 8 weeks ago.

It's always easy to quit or give up, the hard part is pushing through the pain and the "I can't" mentality.

Living outside of your comfort zone leaves a lot of room for you to surprise yourself.

Welcome

Hi! I'm Carlyn. I started this blog in 2011 when I was determined to lose weight I had gained in college and successfully lost 50+ lbs. Then came motherhood where I gained 40 lbs back, and have since lost 30.
Over time I realized life isn't about the scale or the
inches around your waist but what you do with your days, everyday. Join me as I share journey in motherhood, wifedom and fitness/health with arthritis.